Duckling Update

They are huge! and only 7 weeks old! What if they never stop growing??!! I had a dream that they grew to be 6 feet tall! They have a lot of feathers, and they have learned how to quack, almost. I guess you could say they are nearing the end of their adolescent phase.

Harold and Zula have said goodbye to their cardboard box in my room, thankfully. They now live outside all day, and have a coop for sleeping in at night, safe and warm. If only it were easier to catch those little runners to get them in there.
Ducks are very talkative and stick together, at least these two ducks. They are always talking to each other, and if they get separated, they call out to the other one until they are reunited.

They share a space during the day with the chickens, and they all get along, more or less: more when they stay away from each other, less if they are close together.


Sebastian seems to get along with the ducks in the same way. There is no desire to hunt them, as far as I can see. They are too big and unpredictable for him to want to get anywhere near them.



Another fun difference between the chickens and the ducks, which you might have been able to guess, is that the ducks love getting wet. Yes, we know that ducks swim and chickens don't.... and when it rains, the chickens all run for cover, but the ducks will sit out in the rain all day. Also, when the chickens are being naughty (eating the duck's food or getting into the garden and eating our food), I can spray them a little with the hose, and they run for dear life. With the ducks, if I didn't care about saving water, or making a big mudpit in their space, I could shower them with water all the time, and they would be the happiest little ducks in Portland. They run into the water I spray with the hose.

So, our little farm is coming along quite nicely. Let's just hope we don't get kicked out of our house we're renting anytime soon. Let's see.... cats, fish tank, last year chickens, this year ducks, next year?...little potbellied pigs? or rabbits? We probably don't have enough room for goats.

Ducklings get so big so fast!!! They are 2 1/2 weeks old now. They eat so much food, and are quickly growing out of their box in Thimble's closet.... So I built them a little playpen out in the backyard, made of bamboo and chicken wire.
They love to splash around in the water and be out in the sun. But they still have to come inside at night, or if no one's around to check on them every once in a while. We have at least one very curious cat at our house.



Don't you wish you had baby ducks? You can raise ducks too. I guess you would need to be able to make a pond, but a kiddie pool works just as well. Here are some websites about ducks and raising them. www.holderreadfarm.com
and Feathersite.com (the poultry pages). Or you could just come visit mine.

Newest Members of the Rainbow Love Sherbert House

Harold and Zula(pronounced Soo-la)
They are both girl ducks. About a week old now. The cutest things ever!
They live in a box under a bright, warm light
We got them because they are cute
but they will also lay eggs.
We are building them a pond out back
and they will share a daytime space with the chickens
but sleep in their own little coop at night